With draft order on the line, Raiders and Giants bench key players, fueling a unique battle for the top pick.
Typically, fans of a football team root for their team to finish a game with a better score than their opponent. That’ll be far from the case this Sunday in Las Vegas, however, as the Raiders host the New York Giants in what’s sure to be a unique battle.
Both the Raiders and the Giants have records of 2-13, meaning they’re fighting for the rights to the No. 1 overall selection in next year’s draft. Barring the event of a tie, one of these teams will win, which puts the losing team in position to secure the top pick next spring. Raiders and Giants fans will be glued to their TVs on Sunday, hoping for a loss for their own team so their teams can have full control of the 2026 draft.
The teams themselves seem not-so-subtly putting themselves in the best position to lose in Week 17. Both teams have made some moves in relation to injuries, with Las Vegas adding tight end Brock Bowers and safety Jeremey Chinn to the IR and key New York players such as left tackle Andrew Thomas, safety Tyler Nubin, center John Michael-Schmitz, right tackle Evan Neal, and defensive lineman DJ Davidson not practising on Wednesday or Thursday.
Each of the Giants players’ status for Sunday's game has not been confirmed just yet, but they’re trending towards missing the battle for the No. 1 selection. It’s shaping up to become the biggest game of the season for the Raiders, as it will greatly change how their offseason is approached.
Some may think it's shameless tanking by New York and Las Vegas, but it’s not unique to just them. The Kansas City Chiefs, for example, also shut down several players after being eliminated from the playoffs. It just so happens that the Giants and Raiders are going head-to-head as they are shutting some of their players down in favor of health rather than playing in late-season games during seasons of little meaning.
The Raiders and Giants players and coaches may be going out there to win just like every other week, but their respective fans certainly won’t hold it against them if they have their worst game of the season on Sunday. In an ironic way unique to sports, the winner on Sunday will be the team with the losing score.